The Dead Meet
by RedHeadedWoman91
Summary: As each character dies they get a choice: move on or stay. Do they move on to their personal versions of Heaven or Hell or do they wait to see their loved ones first? Follow each character as they make this choice and continue on into the after life.
1. Sirius Black

The last thing Sirius saw was Harry being held back by Remus. Sirius didn't want to go but he figured he had no choice. Plus he'd been too shocked by what was happening to stop himself. Though he didn't know if he would actually have been able to. Sirius was confused. He had fallen through a veil, and had been pushed through by Bellatrix. Sirius had never really gotten along with her but too be killed by his own cousin was almost too much for Sirius to bear. He had never believed that Bellatrix would kill him. She had threatened him enough times but that was completely different to her doing it. Had Bellatrix even used the killing curse? He couldn't remember a flash of green light. Maybe he really had simply fallen through a veil and died. Could a veil kill a person? Remus would know, Sirius thought slightly bitter. Sirius had never quite understood these things and Remus often had. Sirius had never wanted to know about the different, more "mystical", forms of death. Such as a piece of material.

Darkness surrounded Sirius and he no longer felt as though he were falling. It felt more like floating or flying. It seemed, to Sirius, that the years were flying away from him. It felt as though he were getting younger and younger. It was a strange feeling. Sirius reached up and ran a hand over his face. There were no lines and his face felt fuller than it had in years. Sirius knew he would look more like he did before he went to Azkaban. Sirius could also feel his hair getting thicker and less matted. It would probably have its old shine back, Sirius thought oddly happy. His muscles were loosening and there was less tension in his back and arms. He was leaving behind all those years wasted in Azkaban. Eventually Sirius' body felt as though he were in his early twenties again. It was a nice feeling.

Suddenly Sirius found himself lying on his back in the warm sunshine. Sirius slowly opened his eyes and looked up at the bright, brilliant, blue sky. A lazy breeze was blowing in the air and Sirius could smell something remarkably like a forest. Sirius breathed deeply and enjoyed the warmth of the sun. Sirius became acutely aware of the fact that he was entirely naked and found that he didn't particularly care. Then again, he had slept naked for many years before going to Azkaban. Sirius sat up and found that he was no longer outside. Instead he was sitting on the carpeted floor of what was no doubt the Head's office at Hogwarts. Sirius stood up and looked around the room. It was empty save for a desk and four chairs on one side. Sitting atop the desk were some plain black robes. Sirius pulled them on, just in case he ran into anyone and turned around. Sirius nearly fell over. Standing in front of him were four people. Two men and two women. Sirius could guess who they were. The four founders of Hogwarts: Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin. It was also clear who was who as each of them were wearing their own House colours and emblems. No one of them said anything to him as they sat down in the four chairs behind the desk. Sirius watched them and waited for them to speak. But, soon, it became apparent that they were all waiting for him to speak first.

'So, Hogwarts is Heaven, then?'

'No,' Gryffindor answered. He had long black hair and a strong jaw. Sirius liked him immediately. The hair reminded Sirius of James and Harry. 'Hogwarts is merely the beginning of your journey.'

'Ah, death is only the beginning.'

'Quite right.' Ravenclaw spoke up. Sirius smiled warmly at her and was surprised when she only raised an eyebrow in what appeared to be disgust. She had her black hair pulled back into a bun on the top of her head and it didn't look as though she was one to mess with. Ravenclaw strongly reminded Sirius of McGonagall.

'So, what happens from here?'

'That is up to you, Black.' Slytherin had spoken. Slytherin had short dark brown hair and had a nasty look about him. He definitely looked like someone who would trap a giant snake in the bowels of a school.

'Slytherin, you sly snake,' Sirius had decided it was time for a bit of fun. 'A Basilisk in a school? I mean, honestly, couldn't you think of anything more imaginative. So very predictable.' Slytherin scowled at Sirius and Godric laughed loudly. Ravenclaw rolled her eyes and Helga smiled brightly at him. Helga, Sirius thought, was attractive. She had a kind face, a bright smile and shoulder length blonde hair. Sirius turned his attention back to Slytherin. 'You know the thing is dead, don't you?'

'Yes, Black, I am aware of what your godson did to it. We have been watching.'

'That sounds creepy.' Sirius smirked. Slytherin rolled his eyes and Ravenclaw took over.

'There are several rooms here which allow people to check in on their loved ones whenever they need to. We have been using these devices to watch Harry Potter throughout his life. Including the incident in the Chamber of Secrets.' Here Ravenclaw sent a nasty look at Slytherin and Sirius got the distinct impression that none of the other founders were very happy with Slytherin's parting gift to Hogwarts.

'Still sounds a little creepy,' Sirius muttered. There was silence for several minutes, then 'So, I'm finally dead than, am I?'

'Yes, Sirius, you are dead.' Helga said kindly, smiling warmly at him.

'Right. And I'm at Hogwarts?'

'Yes, but without the lessons.' Godric laughed.

'Good, I don't think I could've handled an eternity of lessons.' Sirius said rolling his eyes. 'So, then what is this place if it's not Heaven?'

'It acts as a kind of in-between place,' Helga jumped in before the others could. 'All witches and wizards who attended Hogwarts in their youth come here. From here they go on to Heaven or Hell, whichever one suits them. Of course, Heaven and Hell differ from person to person and you will not know in advance where you are heading or what you will find there.'

'I see,' Sirius lied, though he got the gist of it. 'So do I move on now?'

'No, you get to choose when and if you move on. The choice is entirely yours, Sirius.' Godric replied simply. Sirius figured he had said it so many times that he was getting bored with saying it.

'So, how come you four haven't moved on? Why're you still here?' Sirius asked.

'Because Merlin decided that we should be his "representatives" for Britain. There are different reps for each school, usually it is the founder, or founders.' Ravenclaw answered.

'What does Merlin do then?'

'Merlin is the one who determines where you go if you move on and what you find there.' Ravenclaw spoke again, and Sirius wished she wouldn't. Her voice was very annoying.

'If I move on will I be able to watch what happens on Earth?'

'Depends on what your version of Heaven or Hell is.' Godric answered in that same bored voice he had used before. Sirius couldn't blame him.

'But if I stay here I'll be able to keep an eye on Remus and Harry/'

'Yes, though you won't be able to contact them or help them.'

'Yeah, I figured,' Sirius fell silent thinking. Then, as he thought of watching Remus and Harry, an idea occurred to him. 'Is James Potter still here?'

'We can't tell you that, Sirius.' Helga said, nodding slightly. Sirius pretended not to notice and continued with his questioning.

'And why not? He's my brother,' another thought occurred to Sirius then. 'What about Regulus? Is he here?'

'Sirius, we can't tell you if they're here,' Helga said again. This time she gave no indication in answer to Sirius queries. 'We don't want anything influencing your decision. This is also why we can't tell you what will happen if you decide to move on.'

'Right, fair enough, I suppose,' Sirius fell silent and turned his back on the founders. Sirius was considering whether or not he should move on. Besides the fact that he didn't know what would happen, Sirius wasn't sure what his versions of the two places would be. Sirius fully believed that his version of Heaven would be Hogwarts exactly how he had known it, along with James, Remus and Lily. Sirius wasn't sure if this would be possible, especially seeing as Remus was, thankfully, still alive. Plus James and Lily's ideas of Heaven may not be the same as Sirius'. The version of Hell that popped up into Sirius' mind was of Grimmauld Place as it was when he was growing up there. Sirius knew that he wouldn't be able to handle that kind of eternity. He'd end up killing himself, if that were actually possible. Sirius was beginning to think that moving on may not be worth it. Then again, he was very tired. After all those years shut up in a cell in Azkaban Sirius had been incredibly tired since he had escaped. Sirius closed his eyes and concentrated on his muscles. As he went through each separate muscle, Sirius found that the tension and the tiredness just weren't there. Sirius sighed happily and his eyes flew open and he turned around.

'Tell me one thing. And don't give me any crap about not wanting to influence my decision,' Sirius waited until they all nodded and almost laughed when Godric sat up straighter. Apparently he hadn't had this demand before. 'If I stay here, will I see Remus when he comes here?'

For a second, Sirius thought that they weren't going to answer him. Then, typically, Godric spoke up 'If he decides to stay, then yes, you will see him. But if he decides to move on immediately, then no, you won't get to see him.'

'Right.' Sirius closed his eyes again. Would Remus stay? Or would he move on to the unknown? Sirius' eyes flashed open. Remus wouldn't move on; he didn't like the unknown and never had. 'I'm staying.'

'Are you sure?'

'Abso-frickin'-lutely. I ain't leaving for nothing. Not yet anyway.' Sirius grinned.

'Very well,' Godric smiled at him. 'You may leave then.' Godric indicated the door behind Sirius.

'One thing. Am I still able to transform here?'

'Yes, you are.'

'Excellent.' Sirius grinned at them again and raced from the room and down the spiral staircase, hoping that this Hogwarts was the same as the one he knew. When he reached the corridor outside the Head's office Sirius knew that it was. There was no doubt about that. Sirius wondered if it would have the same secret passageways, trick walls and stairs, and all of the other things that Sirius had discovered during his school days there. He doubted if the passageways into Hogsmeade would be there in the same capacity.

Sirius raced through the halls at almost breakneck speed. He couldn't stop. He needed to find his friends. He needed to find James, Lily and Regulus. Sirius didn't even stop to think about whether or not they would actually be there. Sirius burst out the doors of the castle and back into the bright sunshine. Sirius stopped for barely a second to look around. There were hundreds of people milling around the grounds, and it was only now that Sirius realised he had passed a lot of people inside the actual castle. Sirius continued running, and didn't particularly feel like stopping until someone yelled out his name. Sirius froze. He knew that voice.

'Sirius? Is it really you?'

Sirius turned around slowly and faced the man. 'Hey, Regulus.' Sirius smiled at his little brother, who looked exactly how he had done the last time Sirius had seen him.

'Hey, Sirius.' Regulus smiled back at him brightly. 'How you been?'

'Not bad. In Azkaban for a while.'

'Yeah, I saw that,' Regulus grimaced. 'Can't believe they actually that you were capable of killing any one, especially Muggles.'

'Yeah, well they did.' Sirius shrugged suddenly unsure what to say.

'So, how'd you end up here?'

'Bellatrix.' Sirius said simply.

'Really? I didn't see that. Wow, she finally killed you.

'Yeah, took her bloody long enough. What about you, Reg? Did Voldemort kill you?'

'Kind of,' And so Regulus explained to Sirius about the cave and the potion. Sirius couldn't believe it. His brother, the Death Eater, had died trying to stop Voldemort.

'Wow, Reg. You actually are a good guy after all.' Sirius smiled at his brother, who smiled back at him.

'You can ask me now, Sirius.' Regulus said.

'Ask you what?' Sirius attempted to feign innocence but it didn't work very well.

'Just ask me, Sirius.' Regulus laughed.

'Alright, alright. Do you know where James and Lily are?'

'Course I do. Come on, follow me.' Regulus led Sirius away from the castle and down towards the Forbidden Forest. Regulus motioned at the Forest. 'You'll find them in there. I'm not sure exactly where they are, but I don't think you'll have any trouble finding them, you mutt.'

'What? Wait, how'd you know about that?'

'I watched you escape Azkaban. And James told me.' Regulus smiled and walked away leaving Sirius to transform alone. Sirius faced the Forest and allowed his form to shift into the black dog. Padfoot sniffed the ground, hoping to catch James' scent. He couldn't smell anything and ventured further into the Forest, keeping his nose close to the ground. After what seemed like hours, Padfoot picked up a familiar scent and began moving faster. After a few minutes Padfoot burst into a clearing and stopped. Standing before him was a large, handsome, and incredibly familiar stag. Sirius quickly transformed and stared at the animal he had not seen in such a long time. Slowly, slowly, the stag transformed into James Potter, who was grinning madly at Sirius.

'Well, Padfoot, it's been a long time.'

'Long time… yeah…' Sirius stared at his best friend. He was having trouble believing that James was standing right in front of him. 'James?'

James' smile turned sad and he carefully approached Sirius. 'I forgive you, buddy. You weren't to know that Pete was a traitor. I forgive you.'

'Thank you…' Sirius said quietly, still not believing. Sirius then did something that he had not done for a long time. He broke down. Sirius' sobs reverberated around the Forest as he fell to his knees. James, who had been expecting this, knelt down beside his friend and placed an arm around Sirius' shoulders and simply waited for his friend. Finally, the sobs stopped and Sirius looked up at James. 'Thank you, James.'

'Course. Lily forgives you as well, but you probably want to hear her say that,' James smiled at Sirius and pulled him to his feet. 'You seen Regulus?'

'Yeah, I did. He told me how he really died. He actually did the right thing in the end.'

'Well, you never left him alone to fully believe in Voldemort for long. I'm just surprised it took him so long.' James shrugged and started leading Sirius further into the Forest. 'Lily'll kill me if we take any longer. She's dying to see you, mate.'

'Really?'

'Yeah,' James glanced back at Sirius. 'I'm sorry you went to Azkaban, Padfoot. Though that escape was something.'

'Not your fault. It took me ages to work out that Dementors don't affect animals.' Sirius grimaced. 'Even though I'm pretty sure Moony told us once or twice.'

'He probably told us more times than that.' James laughed. 'Almost there.'

Silence fell as the two men came to the edge of yet another clearing. James pushed his way through but Sirius hung back. He was nervous again. Taking a deep breath Sirius pushed through the dense foliage and saw one of the most beautiful sights he had ever seen. Lily was standing before in a shaft of bright sunlight. Her bright red hair was shining and she was smiling happily at Sirius. Before Sirius had a chance to say anything Lily had rushed forward and thrown her arms around him. Sirius hugged her back tightly as Lily whispered 'I forgive you' in his ear. Sirius almost broke down again but he managed to hold the tears back. When Lily finally let him go Sirius could see James laughing at him.

'Oh, Sirius I'm so glad you're here. I mean, I'm not glad that you're dead and all, just that you're here with us,' Lily smiled. 'And thank you for looking after Harry.'

'Not that I could at first.' Sirius said bitterly.

'Sirius, it isn't your fault. You couldn't have known that Pete was a traitor,' James said sternly. 'And besides, Dumbledore still would have made Harry live with Petunia and Vernon.'

'Which I will never forgive him for.' Lily said through her teeth. 'I can't believe how Petunia treated him just because he's my son.' Lily continued muttering under her breath, but James and Sirius, who were used to this kind of behaviour, paid her no attention.

'Anyway, we can still keep an eye on Moony and Harry and see what they're up to. And what old Voldie's up to.'

Sirius grinned, truly happy for the first time in a long time. 'Sounds like a good way to spend a few years.'


	2. Albus Dumbledore

_My beard is shorter…_

That's the first thing that Albus Percival Wulfric Brain Dumbledore, newly deceased, thought. _My beard is shorter, and so is my hair. _That's what the great Albus Dumbledore considered as he floated in the midst of nothing. Albus wasn't worried at all, even though most people would find it a little disconcerting to be floating in apparent nothingness. Albus was too used to the unusual for this little episode to faze him in the least.

Albus felt light; lighter than he had done in years. A weight had been lifted off his shoulders and he could feel his bones strengthening and getting younger and younger. That was what Albus found off putting. The getting younger bit. He didn't mind the floating, it was a nice feeling, but de-aging was… weirder than he was used too. Albus wondered briefly where he was going. Would he be heading for Heaven or Hell? It was too worrying to think on. Albus' mind turned back to his de-aging process and found that, oddly, he felt like he had when he was twenty. Albus did, of course then wonder why he was losing years. What was the purpose of it? He couldn't be heading back in time. That made no sense. He was dead, after all, and the dead don't time travel.

Albus had never been particularly fond of flying and now that he seemed to be speeding up he was beginning to get a little nervous. The nerves mainly came from the unknown; one question kept popping up into Albus' mind: _where am I going?_ It wasn't a question that he wanted answered any time soon. Albus lightly touched what had been his destroyed hand and found, to his joy, that it was healed. It didn't matter that he couldn't actually _see _the hand; he could feel it and it felt whole. Death was a wonderful thing, Albus decided. It took you back to the prime of your life. It made you whole once more. It made you feel young, no matter what your actual age.

Suddenly, Albus found that he was lying on his back on a soft patch of grass. Albus' eyes slowly opened and he took in the scene around him. It was very clear to him that he was in the Hogwarts grounds on a particularly nice day. The sun was shining, birds were singing, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Albus sat up and noticed that he was entirely naked. As soon as he realised this, Albus found some plain robes lying on the ground next to him. Pulling on the robes, Albus considered, for the first time, the indisputable fact that he was dead. He had, of course, known that it was coming all year, what with the curse killing him and the promise Snape had made him. But it still came as a shock. Albus had always been fascinated with death, so much so that he tried to find the Deathly Hallows, and he had always wondered what would happen when he did finally die. And now he knew; he was at Hogwarts, but somehow he didn't think that Hogwarts was Heaven. Perhaps it was something in between?

HalHhHAlbus stared around himself and suddenly felt as though he needed Fawkes with him. The Phoenix had been with Albus for so long that it felt strange not to have him there. Albus was forced to stop thinking about his much beloved and missed Phoenix when he inexplicably found himself in his old office. Except that it wasn't his office. Rather it was the Head's office. None of his magical items were there and neither was his chair. Instead behind the large desk were four very plain chairs, occupied by four people that Dumbledore instantly recognised as the four Hogwarts founders. Albus smiled serenely at them and once again wished that he had Fawkes. It would be extremely comforting, Albus thought, to have the weight of the bird on his shoulder. Albus glanced behind him when he heard soft whispers. On the wall surrounding the door, just like the real Head's office, were the portraits of every single Headmaster and mistress that Hogwarts had ever seen, all of them now dead. In one of the portraits Albus saw himself, with his long beard and hair that he sadly no longer possessed. Albus turned back to face the founders.

'Well, I suppose I could guess what happens next or I could allow you to inform me yourselves of my choice.' Albus smiled at them again, and was delighted when all of them bar Slytherin smiled back at him.

'Very well, Albus Dumbledore,' began Godric Gryffindor. 'As you apparently already know, Hogwarts is not Heaven or Hell; instead it acts as a kind of waiting room. All wizards and witches who attended Hogwarts end up here once they have died. The choice you mentioned is simple: remain here for as long as you wish or move on to wherever it is you are destined to go. We cannot reveal where you will end up, nor what you will find there.' Godric finished and sat back to wait for Albus to make his decision.

For the first time in his life, Albus Dumbledore couldn't make a decision. On the one hand it would be nice to rest but on the other hand Albus thought that it would be nice to walk the halls of Hogwarts and see some old friends. Albus had a sudden thought of being reunited with Arianna, his little sister, and his heart swelled with love and hope. It had been a long time since he had seen the beautiful Arianna and Albus needed to talk to her and apologise for what had happened on that dreadful day when she had died. After drinking the potion in order to get the locket Albus had relieved the memories of that day and they had been gnawing at his mind ever since. All through his talk with Draco a top the Astronomy Tower, Albus' thoughts had been far away. Arianna's face was still in his mind, even the prospect of his coming death couldn't make him forget the guilt. Albus looked out over the grounds of Hogwarts and wondered if Arianna had moved on or if she had stayed. Albus then wondered if she had ever been there at all. Arianna had never had the chance to attend Hogwarts. Albus glanced at the four founders and knew that they couldn't tell him. But that didn't mean he couldn't ask.

'Did my sister, Arianna, come here?'

'We cannot tell you, Albus.' Rowena spoke carefully, obviously trying to send him a message. Albus didn't get it.

'I'm sorry, Albus. But we really can't tell you.' Helga spoke the last sentence very softly as though she were trying to ensure that Albus could only understand the first part. And he did. Arianna had never been there.

'I understand,' Albus nodded at Helga, letting her know that he had gotten her message. She nodded in return and smiled sadly at him. 'Are you able to tell me what would have happened to her if she didn't come here?'

'We can,' Godric spoke softly not wanting to upset Albus. 'If Arianna didn't come then she would have ended up in the 'neutral' zone. Where people who never attended their schools go. When they arrive they are faced with a similar choice to you. Move on or stay and hope that someone you know comes to find you.'

'And if someone did find her?'

'Then she could be brought back here.'

'And who gives them this choice?' Albus asked even though he could guess the answer.

'Merlin himself looks after those particular souls.' Godric answered. 'We can't tell you if she's there, though Albus. But we can send you there to see Merlin. If she isn't there he simply send you back here to us.'

'There is only one slight issue with that choice though,' Slytherin drawled. 'You forfeit your initial choice. You will have to remain here for at least one year.'

'I can do that. Its no problem. I want to find Arianna and bring her here. She always wanted to see Hogwarts.'

'Very well.' Godric stood up and moved in front of Albus. He placed a fingertip on Albus' forehead and muttered something under his breath. Albus felt a pulling sensation just behind his navel and prepared himself for travel. The room spun around Albus and he breathed deeply. \

Suddenly Albus found himself standing in an entirely different room. This room looked as though the occupant had been living and working there for centuries. There were stacks of books and yellowing pieces of parchment taking up all of the available space. There was large mahogany desk standing in the middle of the room, also stacked with books and parchment. There was an almost comforting musty smell to the room, and Albus found himself enjoying just standing amidst the seemingly chaotic mess. However, Albus had no doubt that there was some method to this madness and that the owner of all this had some kind of system to finding what they needed, most likely a magical system. Not only was there books and parchment everywhere, there was also a large array of magical artefacts, many of which Albus recognised as Dark detectors and Astronomy tools. From behind one of the stacks came a man buckling under the weight of the amount of parchment he was carrying. Albus quickly leapt forward and took half of what the man was carrying into his own hands.

'Ah, thanks very much, Albus. That was beginning to worry me a little.'

'Not a problem at all. Where would you like them?'

The man looked around the room and smiled. 'Oh, well. Wherever there's a spare space, if any. Just pop them down on the floor if you have to. It makes no difference to me.' Albus placed the stack of parchment on a chair, not comfortable with putting it on the floor. When he stood up he took a closer look at the man and was shocked at how young he was; he only looked to be about thirty, but Albus knew that Merlin had lived to a very old age. The man had black hair and an easy smile. There was a glint in his eye which suggested that the man had a mischievous soul. Albus could definitely picture this man walking alongside King Arthur around the city of Camelot.

'Excuse me, Merlin?' Albus cleared his throat. Merlin turned around and smiled at him.

'Albus, my dear fellow, how are you?'

'I'm well, thank you. Yourself?'

'Good, good. So what brings you here then? You were meant to end up in Hogwarts.'

'I did. But I came here to look for my sister. Arianna Dumbledore?'

'Arianna Dumbledore,' Merlin looked around at the stacks. 'Let me see, she's here somewhere. I know she is.'

'I'm sorry?' Albus asked as Merlin began inspecting the stack's closest to them.

'Every single witch and wizard throughout all of history is listed in this room. I'm afraid that it isn't very neat and files tend to go missing every few years. I don't know what I was thinking taking on this job. This room has never been clean.' Merlin began looking through another stack. 'Well, I've found you, at least. ' Here, Merlin pulled out a think tome and showed Albus. 'You see? Every deed, every thing you've ever done is listed in here. From your basic facts like birth date, favourite colour, to the more in depth things. The stuff in bold are the deal breakers. Green is good; red is bad.' Merlin snapped the back shut so that Albus wouldn't be able to tally things up. He ten shoved the book back into a random pile. 'Now, Arianna, Arianna, where are you?' Merlin began searching again. Albus stood back and looked around at the stacks, wondering just how many different people there were.

'Are these files of only _dead _witches and wizards?' Albus asked.

'No, no. Living as well. Those ones just aren't complete yet. That's all. Ah-huh! Eureka!' Merlin was pulling a sheaf of parchment out of one of the stacks. 'Let's have a look then, shall we? Arianna Dumbledore, poor girl. Never was the same after that incident with the Muggle boys, was she?'

'No, she wasn't.' Albus spoke quietly remembering everything that had befallen the Dumbledore family after that "incident".

'Never went to Hogwarts, killed only young, never had the chance to do anything.' Merlin rattled off some of the more important points of Arianna's life. This was the bit he always hated. Some people didn't take kindly to hearing it.

'Does it say anything about who killed her?'

Merlin looked up sharply and stared at Albus. 'No. It doesn't.' It did. Merlin had read the words and he knew. But he wasn't going to tell anyone the truth. He hadn't even told Arianna when she arrived. Merlin looked back down at the sheaf of parchment and went to the very end. 'Well, it looks like your sister decided to stay here and wait for someone to find her.'

'Can you tell me where she is?'

'No, but I can tell you how to find her.' Merlin consulted the sheaf of parchment again.

'Hang on, why can't you just tell me where she is?'

Merlin sighed. 'There is no guarantee that you'll find her. It has to be hard and if I just tell you where she is then it won't be hard. When you leave this room you will find yourself in a replica of the living world. Arianna is somewhere there. She has determined the place that she wants to be. It may not be somewhere that she's ever been before, and it can be anywhere in the world. You have to find her for yourself.'

'Do I get a clue or something to help me?'

'I'm sorry, Albus. I wish I could tell you where to find Arianna but that's against the rules.'

'I understand. Thank you, Merlin,. You have been a great help to me.'

'Of course. When you have found Arianna, both of you will end up here again. I will then ask her if she wants to stay here, go with you, or move on. Good luck, Headmaster.'

Albus very, very suddenly found himself standing in the middle of any empty, nameless street. There was no one around and all of the houses clearly stood empty. Albus looked about himself and knew that, at least, he was in England. He just didn't know which bit of England. Albus concentrated very hard and tried to think of where Arianna might be. Something told him that even in death Arianna would try to remain as close to her brother's as possible. Albus smiled and quickly Aparated to Hogsmeade, sure that he would find her there. Albus arrived in the street and found the silence to be very strange. Never had a visited a quiet Hogsmeade before and he never wanted to again. Albus headed towards The Three Broomsticks to begin his search before stopping abruptly. Arianna wouldn't be in there. No, she'd be in the… Albus began running towards the dingy pub at the end of the High Street, yelling out Arianna's name. When he reached the door, Albus barely stopped before he barrelled through the door to the Hog;s Head only to stop dead in his tracks when he saw the young girl, clearly a Dumbledore, waiting for him. Arianna smiled and raced towards her brother. Albus swung his sister up into his arms and couldn't help the tears that came to his eyes. After so many years of not being able to even see his sister, now he was holding her in his arms.

Before Albus and Arianna had had a chance to speak they found themselves back in Merlin's room. Merlin was beaming at them. 'I am so glad that you have been reunited. Now, Arianna, this is a formality. Do you want to stay here, move on, or go with Albus?'

'I want to go with my brother.' Arianna spoke softly but she was almost giddy with happiness.

'I thought you'd say that. Enjoy Hogwarts, my dear.' Merlin smiled at them and in an instant they were back at Hogwarts, standing in the beautiful sunshine, ready for eternity.


	3. Watching

In the in-between place that is Hogwarts, there is a room that is located beneath the castle itself. The room is accessed by a door at the end of the corridor to the potion classrooms. The door is made of a heavy wood with a black door handle. The room proper is so large that its area is equal to all of the Hogwarts grounds. The room has no separate rooms and there is virtually no furniture. All there is a series of Pensieve like devices. These basins are spaced evenly throughout the vast hall totalling to near a thousand. Around each of these basins is a low stone bench long enough for at least twenty people to sit comfortably on them. There are no lights in the hall; rather the light from the basins is enough to allow people to see where they are going.

The basins are simple. Whoever sits around a particular basins needs to merely think on someone living and the silvery liquid in the basins will go clear and allow the viewer to see whatever they like. Since their creation the basins have been met with mixed reviews, so to speak. Some people like being able to watch their loved ones live one without them; while others simply can't bear the reminders of what they left behind. The basins do not allow you to communicate with the living, you can only watch. Everyday there is someone in there watching but they very rarely stay there for very long. Some lasts hours; some days. Most cannot last a month. There is, however, an exception to every rule.

Since their first day in the in-between, two people, very special people, sat in the dark, staring down at their basin. They watched as their loved ones mourned them, grew up, and moved on. They watched their friends and their families. They watched as one seemingly died; they watched as one went through excruciating pain every month without his animals companions; they watched as one was dragged off to prison without trial for something he didn't actually do; and they watched as their only son was raised by magic hating Muggles. James and Lily Potter did not move for almost fourteen years, to absorbed as they were in watching.

Some days they were joined by people they had once known in life. These people would sit with them and watch and talk. They would talk about things that had happened during their lives and the things that would change given the chance. But most of all, they talked about those that were still living, and they pitied many of them for the lives they lead.

Then one day, James and Lily Potter stopped watching. They had to greet their friend into his new life. They left the room after watching their son being possessed by their murderer. They went into the forest and waited and waited. Finally, Sirius Black, the innocent convict, arrived and joined them in the in-between. James and Lily Potter no longer watched the world go by alone. Now they were joined by one of their dearest friends.

They watched another year go by. They cheered on as Harry fought and won. They booed the Death Eaters and those who hated Harry. They watched in awe as Harry showed no fear in the face of his foes. They watched in horror as Harry went to the cave and force fed Dumbledore a potion. They watched with tears in their eyes as their beloved Headmaster was killed by one who Lily had once considered a friend. They watched Harry deal with the direct aftermath, chasing the Death Eaters out of the castle and then going back to Dumbledore's body, and then onto the Hospital Wing. They smiled and laughed at their werewolf friend and cursed his self doubt. They watched and waited for the inevitable arrival of their Headmaster.

When Dumbledore finally arrived, with his sister Arianna, he was greeted with cheers and hugs from his former students. Dumbledore had to admit that he was slightly over whelmed by this greeting and that he had expected fairly cold greetings from them considering everything that had happened. Sirius told him that they didn't blame him for anything and that he understood why Dumbledore had not wanted him to leave Grimmauld Place. James and Lily, while a little annoyed that Harry was forced to live with the Dursley's, told him that they too understood his actions and that they could never blame him.

As they resumed their seats, James turned to Lily and spoke quietly 'You know what Harry's going to do, right?'

'Yes, I know,' Lily sighed and looked down into the basin at Harry. 'He's too much like you to do anything else.'

James smiled at her. 'You say that like it's a bad thing.'

'It is bad thing, James.' Lily teased.

The two of them fell silent as the scene in the basin continued to play out. None of them liked what they heard or saw, but they never once said anything. They had once again fallen silent watching the lives of the people they had known play out. They watched Dumbledore's funeral, and sighed when Harry broke it off with Ginny. They couldn't help but get teary eyed as Harry's friends stood by him.

They all kept watch over the lives of their loved ones. Occasionally they spoke and they very rarely left the room, except, perhaps, to get some air. They remained in that hall, watching and waiting for new arrivals.


	4. Alastor 'MadEye' Moody

_Leg… eye… nose… all back… impossible…_

Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody floated through space attempting not to think. Thinking about what was happening hurt his head way too much. Alastor knew, without a doubt, that he was dead and he figured that it was about bloody time too. The past few years of his life hadn't exactly been much fun. From being drugged and stuffed into his own trunk, to having to live through the rise of Voldemort yet again. Alastor was actually glad that he was finally dead and he wouldn't have to put up with any more rubbish from the Ministry or from bloody Death Eaters. Alastor had lived a hard life and he had long ago decided that he needed a good long break. That had been part of the reason that he has retired in the first place.

Alastor could, strangely, feel both legs, both eyes, and his entire nose. They were all back, and they were all back in the right places. It didn't make any sense and it shouldn't have been possible.

_Then again, I am dead…_

But that it didn't mean he should be made whole again. Should it? Alastor truly didn't know. He didn't understand what was happening. All his life he had believed that once he was dead then that was that. He was dead. As far as he had been concerned there was no afterlife. But if there was no afterlife, then what the hell was going on?

Alastor could feel himself speeding up slightly but he decided not to think about it. His motto of 'Constant vigilance' had been forgotten as he remembered exactly how he had died. It was inevitable that his thoughts ended up there. He reasoned that everyone's minds ended up there while floating through the… tunnel? He wasn't sure what he was floating through all he knew was that he was dead because Mundungus Fletcher was a slimy little coward. The memory of his death had, by now, fully come back to him and he was wondering what had gone wrong. The Death Eaters had known there plan. It was obvious. The Death Eaters had shown up as soon as Potter was out of the protective field. They had known. But how? How could the Death Eaters have known what was going to happen? Alastor went through the list:

_Arthur? Not a chance. He sees Potter as yet another son…_

_Ron? Yeah, right. He'd rather give himself up._

_Hermione? Not bloody likely. _

_Remus? Definitely not. _

_The twins? Not even for a laugh._

_Hagrid? He'd protect the boy with more than his life._

_French girl? Wouldn't jeopardise her marriage and she likes the boy._

_Mundungus… bloody hell…_

And, in that instance, Alastor knew what had happened. He knew. He had seen the slightly glassy look in Mundungus' eyes but he had put down to booze. The man was known to drink and he had that look before. Alastor mentally slapped himself. How had he missed it? He'd been getting rusty, that's how. He was old and he missed things. It was that simple. And he'd gotten himself killed because of it.

Alastor could feel himself slowing down and he wondered what the hell he was going to have to go through now. After all his years, Alastor felt as though he deserved a break and he had always maintained that he could rest once he was dead. And now he was dead, and he sure as hell wasn't resting. He was floating of all things. Alastor closed his eyes and tried to relax, hoping that everything would just go away.

Suddenly, Alastor realised that he was lying on a patch of soft grass. He opened his eyes and looked up at the clear sky above him. Alastor sat up and looked down at the robes that he'd been wearing when he had died. Except they looked cleaner than they had been, and there was no blood stains or patches anywhere to be seen. Alastor ran a hand over his face and when he next looked he was no longer outside, but in what was the Head's office at Hogwarts. Alastor faced the four people sitting in front of him with slight suspicion.

'Alastor Moody, do you understand where you are and what's going on?' Godric asked him.

'Course I do.' Alastor replied. He wasn't particularly interested in anything that any of the dead had to say. All he wanted to do was rest.

'You now have a choice, Alastor. You can elect to remain here, in this in-between place, or you can move on. If you remain here you will be able to watch over those you left behind and…'

'Not interested.' Alastor growled.

'But, don't you want to know the outcome of the war?' Helga asked him.

'I know what the outcome will be. Potter will defeat Riddle and everything should be the way it was meant to be. I don't need to see it to know that.'

'How can you be so sure that Potter will defeat Lord Voldemort?' questioned Salazar.

'Simple. It's Potter, and he rest until Riddle's good and dead. Nothing is going to stop him. Despite his sometimes idiotic nature, the boy's clever and he'll be able to do what he needs to do.' Alastor fell silent and thought about the choice that he was being given. 'However, I will admit that I would like to see it happen, but I'm tired. I've lived a long life and all I want is to sleep forever. I don't wanna hang round watchin' the living world go by. That lifestyle ain't for me. I just want to rest. So, I'll be moving on, thank you very much.'

'If that is your final choice,' Godric said. When Alastor nodded he continued 'Very well. Alastor Moody, you are free.'

_Nothingness… just black all round… where'd the founders go? I thought I was moving on…. Blackness… quiet…_

Alastor was floating again. But this time it felt different. He felt heavy and… human. He felt as though he was alive again. His wooden leg was back, and so was his magical eye. A chunk was missing from his nose and he had no doubt that once again he wasn't a whole man. But that didn't bother him in the least. He felt normal again. He felt exactly how he should.

_There is nothing… no one to hunt down and throw into prison… no one to protect… no one to fight… no one needing my help or advice… there is just me… there is quiet… and nothingness… and blackness… and it's simple and… _

_I am free…_

Alastor Moody was no more. He was just a memory to those that had known him and just a name and a legend to those that had never had the pleasure of meeting him. Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody, famous ex-Auror, was dead and he was free. There was no in-between place for him and there was no hell. His idea of Heaven _was _nothingness. His soul did not go to that great party in the sky because he didn't want that. He wanted peace and quiet and so his soul faded away and he had peace.

Mad-Eye was free…


	5. Dobby

_Harry… Potter…_

Somehow, Dobby remembered saying those words into the night. Somehow, he could remember the little things about his death…

_The sharp, burning pain… the sand beneath his feet… the silver hilt of the knife sticking out of his flesh… a cool breeze blowing through the air… the feeling of the blade lodged in his stomach… the sound of the sea in the distance… the warm blood seeping through his clothing… the stars in the dark sky… the sound of sobbing… knowing that he'd saved his friends from certain pain and death… the sound of screaming… the feel of someone's strong yet gentle arms holding him… lowering him to the ground… looking up into the face of Harry Potter…_

_Harry… Potter…_

They had been his last words. The name of the man who had done so much for him and for the world. Dobby, despite the strange darkness around him, smiled because he knew that he had been a hero for a change. He hadn't been the one that needed saving. Instead he had done the saving.

Dobby was glad. He was dead but he was glad because of what he had achieved in life, but especially what he had done in his last few minutes on Earth. He had saved his friends and he had stood up to the family that had mistreated him for so long. Dobby had waited a long time to do that and, even though it had ultimately killed him, he had been happy for the chance.

Dobby floated through the darkness, content to let it him take him wherever. Unlike wizards and witches, magical creatures were very aware of what happened when Death claimed them. Dobby knew that magical humans went to Hogwarts and it was said that magical creatures also got the opportunity to go there. It all depended on whether or not he had been a good house elf, and he knew that he hadn't been. Dobby didn't expect to see the grounds of Hogwarts again, nor the founders. Dobby had disobeyed the Malfoy's many, many times and he had then wanted payment for working. That didn't exactly make a good house elf. But Dobby didn't mind.

Because he hadn't been expecting anything Dobby almost died all over again when he suddenly found himself standing in an office facing the four Hogwarts founders. Dobby's mannerisms and thought process reverted to his previous existence as the Malfoy's house elf. He bowed to the founders so low that his nose was squashed against the carpeted floor. He heard a chuckle and forced himself to keep his nose against the carpet. Dobby jumped slightly when a gentle hand touched his shoulder and carefully made him stand up properly. Dobby looked up into the bright eyes of Godric Gryffindor and almost fell to the floor. Godric chuckled again and steadied the elf.

'Dobby, the Free Elf, welcome,' Godric smiled at him and Dobby couldn't help smiling back at him. 'You are the bravest elf I have ever had the privilege to meet. Dobby, not only did you save Harry Potter and his friends but you gave your life for them. For that, all of the normal rules that apply are being thrown out the window. If you chose to move on to the next life then you will go to Heaven, where you will be with other house elves and you can watch over your friends. Or you may choose to remain here at Hogwarts. You will be with witches and wizards but you still be able to watch over Harry and the others. Take your time to decide.' Godric smiled and removed his hand from Dobby's shoulder but remained sitting on the floor with him.

Dobby looked past him at the other founder. The two women, Rowena and Helga, were smiling at him, but Salazar was giving him a look that Dobby was used to. It was the look that Dark wizards had always had when they saw him. A look that told Dobby that he was there for just one reason: to serve wizards and witches in any way that they saw fit. The looks on Godric's, Helga's and Rowena's face told him something different. They told him that he was a free elf and, as such, he could do whatever he felt like. He didn't have to do what was expected of him. He was a free elf.

'I wish to remain here, Sir.' Dobby said loudly, confidently, and happily.

'I thought as much,' Godric said kindly. 'Go on, then, Dobby. Have fun, my friend.'

Excited from Godric naming him a friend, Dobby ran from the room without thanking him and didn't even think of it until much later at which point he went back to the office and did thank all of them, even Salazar who looked slightly affronted. But until that time, Dobby raced through the halls turning corners without even having to think. He knew exactly where he was going.

When Dobby reached the room housing the looking pools he took a deep breath before going in. For a few minutes Dobby stood staring around the room and at all of the pools and the people. Dooby actually recognised some of them from various family trees and portraits. But what Dobby was looking for was near the back of the room. Dobby very slowly walked over despite having known some of the people in life. Once he reached them Dobby stood behind Dumbledore and cleared his throat as politely as possible. Dumbledore turned around and smiled down at him.

'Dobby! My dear elf, it is so good to see you!' Dumbledore shook Dobby's hand and welcomed him into the group. 'Dobby, you already know Sirius and Ted,' both men smiled at Dobby and shook his hand. 'This, here, is my sister, Arianna,' the young girl beside Dumbledore smiled and winked at him. 'And, well I'm sure you can guess who they are.' Dumbledore indicated two people, a man and a woman, who were sitting side by side. Dobby knew who they were immediately.

'Dobby, thank you.' Lily Potter embraced Dobby and he was so surprised that he didn't have the sense to return the hug. Lily let go of him and smiled, tears misting her eyes. 'You did so much for Harry and I want you to see what he did for you.' Lily pointed at the pool and Dobby watched as the famous and amazing Harry Potter dug a grave for him with his friends, buried him and carved words into a stone to mark the place he was buried. Dobby had to move a little closer to the pool in order to read what Harry Potter had written.

_Here Lies Dobby, a Free Elf_

Dobby's eyes misted over as he continued to watch the great Harry Potter mourn his passing. Dobby briefly wondered why until James reminded him that Harry Potter had considered him one of his greatest friends.

Dobby was a Free Elf. He didn't need to serve anyone. He wasn't required to do anything.

He was Free…


	6. Peter Pettigrew

The silver hand that had been a gift had turned on him in the last moments of his life. The gift and the oath had worked together and yet against him. The oath had saved the life of his former friend's son and the gift had taken his. The gift from his master.

Floating through the blackness, Peter tried to think of how his life had ended like this. What had happened to the life he had once led all those years ago? Peter extended his hand and tried to tell if he still had the Hand of Glory but couldn't; the blackness was too thick. Peter sighed and thought back on the last moments of his life…

_Malfoy Manor… they had all escaped but he didn't know how they had managed it. Harry and Ron had attacked him, trying to get past him to rescue the girl. Not that he could blame them for that. Bellatrix was taking a strange and heightened kind of pleasure from it. He had owed Harry his life for not giving him to the Dementors even though he had deserved it. The memory of this debt had forced him to let go of Harry's throat and instead the hand had grasped his throat and squeezed. He could vaguely recall that Harry and Ron had tried to remove the hand but he had known that it would kill him. That he wasn't going to survive this particular ordeal. The last thing Peter had seen was the desperate look on the face of the boy he had betrayed. _

Peter closed his eyes, or at least he thought he did; it wasn't easy to tell in the strange blackness that surrounded him. He attempted to take a deep breath but it left an odd taste in his mouth. Like he was breathing in a mixture of honey and car oil. It wasn't a nice taste. Peter began to contemplate what would happen to him now that he was dead. Somehow he knew that he wouldn't be floating round for the rest of eternity or whatever. Something had to happen: the question was what. Peter wasn't entirely sure that he wanted to find out. In some way he knew that he wasn't going to like it very much. He just hoped that he would have the option of being able to skip out of going to hell. Though he very highly doubted it.

_Hell, here I come_, Peter thought bitterly. Although he knew he deserved it that didn't make the prospect of it any better or easier to deal with. Peter was more than a betrayer. He was a liar and a coward to boot. All three traits had always been looked down upon by the Marauders and he was now the personification of them. Peter had always regretted what he'd done but now it was dawning on him that he would have to pay the consequences of it from someone else. Some stranger would be punishing him for what he done in his pathetic excuse of a life. Peter could feel himself beginning to sink through the air but his life, and his mistakes, was still going through his mind. Everything he'd ever done: good and bad. All the sins he'd committed were very prominent in his mind…

_Lying to his mother about his grades…_

_Lying to the guys about kissing the girl…_

_Lying about being an Animagus…_

_Lying about his beliefs…_

_Taking the mark…_

_Stealing…_

_Cheating…_

_Betraying James and Lily…_

_Betraying all of them…_

Peter could feel tears flowing down his cheeks as the memories of those happy days at Hogwarts came back to him. He could remember the feeling of belonging to a group, of having friends who would lay down their lives for you, having people to do the same for, having friends in general and, of course, the trouble they got into. Contrary to what people thought, Peter had pulled pranks by himself and everyone had always been surprised but incredibly impressed. For some reason Peter's individual pranks had always been slightly more imaginative than the individual pranks of the other Marauders. Peter figured that it was because he was a dreamer. He dreamt that he was better at everything; he dreamt that he was stronger and smarter and more attractive.

Peter opened his eyes and realised, quite suddenly, that he was lying naked on hard-packed dirt staring up at a stormy sky. Peter stood slowly and looked at the grounds around him, instantly recognising as them as Hogwarts. Peter's mind was once again over come with memories of his school days and he covered his eyes in a vain attempt to block them. When he next opened his eyes Peter pulled on the plain black robes that he found lying at his feet and began to dread whatever was coming. He didn't have to wait long to find out.

Peter slowly became aware that he was no longer standing outside in the grounds of Hogwarts. Instead he was standing in what he knew to be the Headmaster's office in the castle. Peter turned around and almost fell over at the sight of the four founders of the school watching him intently. Peter noticed that Slytherin was looking fairly happy while Gryffindor was looking very, very angry at seeing him. Peter tried desperately to ignore the looks he was getting but it was difficult to ignore the fact that the founder of his own house was giving him incredibly dirty looks. It was all very disconcerting. Peter looked down at his hands and noted, happily, that he no longer carried the horrible silver hand that had ended his life. He looked back up at the founders to see two of them frowning at him, one smirking, and the last, Ravenclaw, looking utterly impassive and a little bored. Peter shifted uncomfortably.

'So, the ultimate betrayer has finally arrived,' Gryffindor sneered at him. Peter felt himself shrink away from the imposing figure and glance down at his feet again. 'Look at you. You're pathetic. How on earth did you end up in my house?'

'Leave him, Godric,' Hufflepuff butted in. 'You know as well as we do that he was forced into it.'

'Yes, but the thing is that he stayed and betrayed Harry all over again. That's the pathetic thing.' Gryffindor turned his attention back to Peter with a look on his face suggesting that he was looking at and smelling something dirty. 'I don't care what you decide nor what happens to you. You, Peter Pettigrew, are a disgrace to my house and to yourself. You have committed the biggest sins you can and yet you stand before us looking remorseful and feeling regret seeping through your veins and your pores. You are not a Gryffindor. You are an impostor and if it were up to me you wouldn't even get a choice in what happened to you.' Gryffindor, having said his piece, turned his chair around and very pointedly took himself out of the conversation.

'Ignore him, Pettigrew.' Slytherin said almost kindly to him. 'He's just angry that he can't send you to hell, which is what he believes you deserve. I, on the other hand, think you deserve some kind of reward for betraying those blasted Potters.'

'No, I don't.' Peter replied softly. Slytherin stared at him as though he had just said the moon was made of cheese. 'I don't deserve a reward, as you put it, for betraying the people who were my friends. I deserve to go to hell so just hurry up and send me there.' Peter closed his eyes and waited for something to happen. Although he didn't want to go to hell he knew that he was headed there anyway and he didn't feel like dragging it out any longer than need be. Peter didn't open his eyes until Ravenclaw spoke.

'We can do no such thing. You choose whether you remain here at Hogwarts or if you move on. We can't tell you where you will go if you do decide to move on but I'm sure you can guess. We can't decide for you, Pettigrew.'

Peter couldn't quite believe his luck. He wouldn't have to go to hell at all. All he had to do was say that he wanted to stay at Hogwarts and he would. Peter could feel the beginnings of a smile on his face but he forced it away as he realised that those he had once called friends would no doubt have stayed at the school as well, waiting for those the loved to turn up. Peter considered this and thought about what might happen when he ran into James or Sirius. Or even Lily. Peter could easily guess what Sirius' reaction would be but he couldn't think of how James and Lily would react to seeing him. Peter reached his decision and said firmly 'I want to stay here.'

'Very well,' Hufflepuff said, attempting a small smile and succeeding. 'You may go.'

Peter spared a quick glance at Gryffindor's back before racing out of the door determined to find somewhere to spend the rest of eternity hiding from everyone at the castle. A voice in the back of his mind, however, was telling him that he wouldn't be able to hide forever. No doubt the others knew that he was dead and would know that he would elect to stay in the one place he had ever really considered his home. Peter reached the Entrance Hall and took a deep breath before stepping outside into the sunshine. Peter glanced up at the blue sky and wondered when the sky had changed. He could clearly remember that it had been threatening to storm when he had been the Headmaster's office. Peter turned his attention back to the grounds and all the people milling about with old friends and relatives. From where he was standing Peter could see at least twenty reunions going on. Peter couldn't help wondering if there were always that many or if it was because there was a war going on. Peter could even see a fight happening over near the Quidditch pitch.

Peter continued looking around the grounds but it wasn't until he looked down to the bottom of the stairs that he saw the dog and the stag. Both animals were sitting patiently on the cobblestones looking up at him. Peter, of course, recognised both animals instantly and reverted to the shape a rat without thinking. It was the knee-jerk reaction for all of them, except Remus of course. Peter (or Wormtail) remembered that as a rat he wasn't as fast as the other two but it was easier for him to hide and so took off as quick as he could chased very closely by a dog and a stag. Peter, nothing more than a streak of grey in the grass, weaved between people's legs while they had to move out of the way of the larger animals. Peter stopped briefly in the shadow of a rock and breathed as slowly as he possibly could. Once he had caught his breath Peter took off again, still chased by the dog and the stag. Peter reached the cool undergrowth of the forest first but didn't stop or hesitate and instead kept running. He could hear them behind him, crashing through the forest, confusing him and making him run in circles in an attempt to get away from the noise that was all around him.

Suddenly Peter found himself confronted by a set of extremely large and extremely sharp teeth. Canine teeth. It wasn't necessarily the teeth that worried him. It was what was beyond the teeth. Hesitantly, Peter looked past the mouth and up into the eyes of the dog. Although the dog was snarling at him, the eyes were telling a different story. The eyes told a story of incredible hurt and betrayal. Peter knew that the only thing stopping the dog from biting into him was the stag that Peter knew was standing behind him. Peter didn't turn. He couldn't. He would have rather faced the dog alone than even look at that stag. The dog, however, had a different idea and all but forced Peter to turn away from him simply by gnashing his teeth. Peter stared up at the beautiful white stag he had hoped never to see again and allowed a small whimper to escape. As the stag stepped forward the dog stepped back and sat down, teeth still bared slightly in case Peter attempted an escape. The stag lowered its head slowly until it was looking Peter in the eye. The hurt and betrayal in those eyes was worse than what it had been in the eyes of a dog. Another whimper escaped Peter and a look he had never expected to see in the stag's eyes appeared: pity.

Peter momentarily closed his little eyes but when he opened them again he was no longer looking at a stag. He was looking at James. Peter felt himself slowly transforming back into a human and heard Sirius do the same. Peter only had eyes for James, for the man he has betrayed so very badly. James didn't look any different than he had done all those years ago. He looked young and fit but so very, very sad and disappointed. Peter, partly so that he wouldn't have to see that look but also to hide his shame, covered his face with his hands and wept. Peter didn't care anymore. He no longer believed that Voldemort had always forced him to do his bidding. Peter was willing to admit that for the past few years Voldemort hadn't forced to torture people. Peter had done it without as much as a hint. However, it had all still been done out of fear of what would happen to him should he disobey his master. Peter didn't care if they hated him; he hated himself more. And he didn't care what they would do to him because he knew in his heart and his mind that he deserved it and more. Much, much more.

'Tell me why.' James spoke softly, keeping his distance, knowing that Peter would break completely if he moved closer, touched him, or spoke harshly. James ignored Sirius' murderous expression and focused solely on Peter, not even turning when he realised Lily was nearby, watching and listening.

'He made me,' Peter choked. 'He found me a week before and… and… forced me. He made me swear loyalty to him. I didn't know what else to do,' Peter stopped to breathe.

'What did he do to you?' James asked, holding back any and all emotion.

'He tortured me. S-said that if I didn't do what he said he'd k-kill my mother and Remus and Sirius. He said he knew where they were. He knew about Remus. He said he'd kill them if I didn't become a spy for him.'

'Did he know where they were?'

'Yes. He told me their addresses. I knew he wasn't lying.'

'How did he know about Remus?'

'He never said. I asked but he… he…'

'Okay, okay. You don't need to say. Why didn't you just say that you couldn't be our Secret Keeper?'

'Because it was too late. Sirius had made the suggestion that day and he knew.'

'How did he know?'

'I don't… he said something. Something about… I'm not sure… I don't…' Peter couldn't finish his sentence as he was overwhelmed by tears. James waited patiently for Peter to regain control of himself. It didn't take long. 'He said something about being able to hear everything we said. I'm not sure what he meant but I didn't have the chance to ask or find out.'

'Why did it take so long for you to tell him?'

'I hid. I ran away from everyone. I only came back for meetings, the full moon and to see you guys. I stayed far away. It took him that long to find me. He dragged me back to England and got… someone else to torture me so that I'd say it.'

'Who did he get to do it?' James asked, already guessing the answer.

'Bellatrix Lestrange.' Peter whimpered. He heard both James and Sirius draw breath. 'I held on for almost two hours but I couldn't do it anymore. I gave in. I was always the weakest… I always gave in first.'

'None of us could have held on for as long as you did. Not even Alice and Frank lasted that long before she sent them insane.'

'I know. I heard some wizards talking about it.' Peter wiped his face clear of tears and allowed his hands to fall into his lap. He still didn't look up. 'But it doesn't matter. He hasn't forced me to do anything recently. I did it of my own free will.' Peter said bitterly.

'That's not true. You did it because he would have killed you otherwise.' James said. 'One more question: why didn't you ever kill Harry? All those nights in the dormitory.'

'I'd already destroyed his life enough. I didn't need to take it away from him as well. He was too much like you. It would've been like killing you twice and I couldn't. I just couldn't.'

'Why did you go back to Voldemort?' Peter shuddered at the question. Not because of the name but because it was the first thing Sirius had said and it was loaded with venom.

'I didn't do it willingly. I kind of stumbled on him in the middle of nowhere. I thought it was an abandoned baby. When I went over and realised who and what it is it was too late. Being in his presence with the mark burned into your flesh is like… it's like drowning. You know there's a way out but you can't find it. He pulls you in and kind of takes over. He made me help him but once he was back there was nothing I could do. I'm sorry.' Peter added lastly. What else could he say?

'Peter, look at me.' James said gently. Peter shook his head but James simply repeated it. Peter, knowing that no matter how much he wanted too he wouldn't be able to turn down James, very slowly raised his head and then, even more slowly, he raised his eyes to look at James once more. A smile spread across James' face and very carefully reached out and grasped Peter's left wrist and pulled it towards him. James pushed the sleeve of Peter's jacket up. 'You see, Wormy? No mark.' Peter looked down at the pale, clean skin of his arm and very nearly cried out in alarm. 'Death is the greatest equaliser. You only have the marks on your skin that you chose to make. Like this,' James pushed the sleeve of Peter's right arm up and smiled when he saw the tattoo of an 'M' etched into his skin. 'See? Just Marauder, not Death Eater.'

'But… that doesn't make sense.'

'Did you want the Dark Mark?'

'No.'

'But you did want this one?' James asked, indicating the 'M'.

'Of course I did. We all did.'

'Which means that the 'M' stays and the Dark Mark doesn't. You are a Marauder, Wormtail. Through and through. You always have been and you always will be. I will be the first to admit that I was angry with you for what happened. I was angry and bitterly disappointed in you, Pete.' James smiled sadly at him. 'I didn't understand why you had betrayed me like that. After everything we had been through together I didn't know why. We were brothers, Pete, and you betrayed me. You betrayed all of us. You destroyed all of our lives and you've been punished.'

'I have?' Peter asked not fully understanding what the hell was going on.

'Yes, Pete, you have. You were tortured by Voldemort and dear old Bella. You spent twelve years as a rat. You had to look over your shoulder for two years looking out for the mutt…'

'Oi!' Sirius protested. James spared Sirius a quick glance before turning back to Peter.

'You tortured yourself, Pete. I think that's enough punishment. That and Harry hated you.' James said.

'I'm still sorry and I hate myself for what I did.'

'I know you do. But, Pete, you must understand.' James smiled at him and looked him in the eye so that Peter would know he was telling the truth. 'I forgive you, Peter.'

'So do I.' Lily said stepping out of the shadows and smiling at him. Peter knew, without a doubt, that they both meant it.

'Thank you. I don't know why you forgive me, and part of me wishes that you wouldn't. But thank you all the same.' Peter smiled for the first time in a long time.

'Sirius, don't you have something to say?' James said watching Sirius with narrowed eyes.

'It's okay, James. He doesn't have to say anything. One of you has to hate me.'

'I don't hate you, Pete,' came the soft the reply from behind him. Peter turned around to face Sirius. 'I did but now I don't. Like the moose said, no one can survive Bellatrix when she's like that. But you did. I don't know how and I don't want to either. All that matters is that you are sorry and that these two have forgiven you. I can't say that I understand what exactly happened to you and I doubt o ever will. You were forced to betray them. To betray us. You're our brother, Wormy, and we… love you. And I am never going to say that too you again.'

'You said that last time.' Peter smiled.

'Yeah, well, this time I mean it.' Sirius said awkwardly.

'Whatever you say, Siri.' Lily smiled and pulled Peter to his feet. 'It isn't bad here. I promise.' Lily smiled again and hugged Peter tightly, whispering 'You're home, Wormy. This is where you belong.'


	7. Severus Snape

No matter how hard he tried he could never see Lily in his face. He always saw the boy's father. When he had first laid eyes on the boy Severus had only seen a Potter. The only part of Lily that he could see in the boy was her eyes. Her bright green eyes looking out at him through the face of a Potter. It was clear to him that this boy would be like his father. An arrogant rule breaker hell bent on making a name for himself. The only difference was that this particular Potter was famous before he had even learnt to walk. Speaking of the way the boy walked, Severus had noticed that there was no swagger. No look about him that he owned the place. It wasn't until the first class he had the boy that Severus realised he walked the way Lily had done when she had first come to the castle. He was scared, apprehensive and completely over-whelmed. Severus didn't blame him. Even some of the Slytherins reacted to the school that way when they first arrived. Despite this reminded of the woman he loved, Severus still made the boy's life a living hell as much as he could. The revenge he could never get on James Potter.

Since the death of the Potter's Severus had consoled himself with the fact that Potter was dead. The boy who had tortured him throughout their school years was finally gone. But so was Lily. Severus ignored her death, and the pain it caused him, for as long as he possibly could. But he could never forget or ignore for long enough. The pain always came back and with it the memories. The memories were probably the worst bit of it all. Many of them would leave him a weeping mess and he would be forced to wide from the world for a time. Severus never spoke to anyone about the memories, he couldn't. It would make them worse. They would become more vivid. And the arrival of Harry Potter at Hogwarts did the same thing.

Severus really had tried to have as little to do with Harry as possible, but he made it impossible. At every turn throughout that first year Potter was there. Accusing him with Lily's eyes. It had hurt every single time he had seen those eyes staring at him with hatred. They were in a different face but the feeling of guilt was still there. Guilt for everything that had happened that afternoon next to the lake. Harry, of course, had no idea how much the look killed him inside. More than anything, Severus had always longed for death so that he would no longer have to feel the guilt. So that he could escape his memories for good. Severus had sometimes regretted saving Harry in that Quidditch match but never enough for him to remedy that decision. He had saved him out of guilt and a sense of honour bound duty. His father had saved him and so Severus saved the son for his own absolution.

Absolution… that's what his life had become about. Absolving himself of the wrongs he had done when he was younger. And there were a lot of them. The biggest wrong he had ever made, however, was what had happened on that day. The day he destroyed his strongest and oldest friendship and his life. Over the years he had thought about that day and analysed it every time. He wondered what might have happened had he not called her that. But every time he came to the same conclusion. Lily would still have ended up with Potter and he still would have lost her forever. Even on that day Severus had known that Lily would one day end up with Potter. It was always going to happen but so long as they were friends he had been able to subtly convince her that she should keep refusing him. Just another of the mistakes he had made. He had tried to change what was written in stone. What he had known was written in stone.

Severus had never been a religious man, not many witches and wizards held with that kind of thing. Severus knew, however, that absolution was traditionally a religious thing and was granted to a person by a priest. Severus had tried that but he couldn't exactly tell him everything. He told him the basics and the priest had told him that God would forgive him if he prayed nightly and did ten Hail Mary's, or some other nonsense. Severus had told the priest that praying wasn't going to bring him forgiveness and left the bewildered man sitting in the confession booth alone. Severus had disappeared for a week after that. He'd ended up in some seedy bar in Knockturn Alley with a killer headache. He had never fully remembered that week and he didn't care. He was, after all, close to death.

When he was younger, Severus Snape had thought about his death often. He had thought that he would be killed by his magic hating father, or that it would be a suicide. He even thought that he might die at the hands of Potter or Black; it wouldn't have surprised him in the least if he had. It wasn't until later on his life that he knew he would die because of his mistakes. And he didn't mind at all. Just so long as he meet Death in the end.

And now he had. It had been painful and scary but Severus was glad of it. It was punishment for all of the wrongs he had committed in his miserable lifetime. Despite contemplating his demise so often he had never imagined that that was how he would go in the end. It seemed strange to him. To die at the fangs of a snake. The emblem of his own House. Severus had never liked that damn snake and it had been the one to finally finish him off. Sure his lord and master had began it but that snake, that dirty great big snake had been the final straw. Somehow it seemed oddly fitting.

The end was coming. Although he was fully aware that he was absolutely dead it hadn't felt like that till now. Now it felt as though things, mainly himself, were slowing down. Coming to stop at the very end of the trail. It was an interesting sensation. Like slowly landing on a broomstick. A descent that felt like it went on for miles and miles with no end in sight. It just felt like there was an end to it all. An end to the depression that had plagued him for most of his life. The depression was lifting and there was a light at the end.

_Death is only the beginning._

The darkness pressed upon him. The silence was deafening. The sun was warm and light on… the sun? Severus opened his eyes, unaware that he had ever closed them. There was sunshine falling down on his naked body warming him to the bone. So far it was the weirdest thing to happen to him. And that was saying something. Severus sat up slowly and assessed his situation. It took him a moment but he finally realised that he was at Hogwarts. From where he was he could just see the edge of the Black Lake and the Forbidden Forest. Severus stood and unquestioningly pulled on the plain black robes he found lying on the grass, hiding his nakedness.

When Severus suddenly found himself standing in the Head's office facing the four founders of Hogwarts, he was not surprised in the least. When he had realised he was at Hogwarts Severus guessed that the founders would be around somewhere. Severus faced them gladly ready to receive whatever punishment they deemed befitting. The four of them considered him silently. Severus, never one to force judgement, remained silent waiting for one of them to begin. Salazar was the first to speak.

'It's about time someone from House turned up. Especially a Head.'

'Sounds like you're glad he's dead.' Godric said not looking away from Severus. 'You have now have two choices, Severus. We can give you no help in deciding which to choose. You can either elect to remain at Hogwarts until such time that you change your mind, or you may decide to depart this place and continue on to the next realm, if you like. The choice is yours but make sure you choose the right one. If you decide to move on you cannot change your mind. Only if you remain here can you do that at any time you wish.'

'I should tell you that if you remain here you'll be able to watch over those you left behind.' Helga added kindly.

'I didn't leave anyone behind,' Severus answered her. 'There is no one left on Earth that I care for.'

'An admirable way to live your life,' Salazar said to him actually sounding pleased at Severus' lifestyle. 'There is no shame in having no family or friends.'

'You had a family,' Godric said to him. 'Don't be a hypocrite, Sally. The choice is yours, Severus, don't let him influence you.'

'I did not decide to go through my life alone,' Severus said to Salazar ignoring Godric and the two women. 'That choice was taken away from me a long time ago. By your descendant.' Severus stared at the founder of his House and decided that being a Slytherin wasn't such a great thing after all. Not if it was modelled after this idiot before him.

'You dare…' Salazar began.

'Yes, I dare. I choose to move on.' Severus said. The shock on the faces of the founders was clear.

'Are you sure, Severus?' Rowena spoke. Her voice was softer than Severus had been expecting from such a stern looking woman. 'You may find friends here.'

'I have no friends,' Severus answered simply.

'I think you do, Severus,' said Helga. 'No one is truly without friends, or at least people who care for them.'

'I told you, there is no one.'

'Yes, there is.' Said a soft voice from behind him. Severus closed his eyes as the voice brought forth images from his past. 'It's good to see you, Sev.' Severus slowly turned around to face her. Lily Evans, _Potter_, stood in the doorway to the office looking exactly as she had when Severus had last lain eyes on her many years ago.

'No, it isn't. The last time you saw me you said you didn't care if you ever saw me again. You told me that whatever friendship we had had died long ago, in fifth year, and nothing on Earth could or would change that so I should stop trying.'

'I know what I said. But I've been keeping watch over you since then, since I died. I know you, Sev, and I know everything you've done for the Order and for Harry.' Lily smiled sadly at him. 'I'm sorry for what I said to you all those years ago. I was angry at you, even though I forgave you. I just didn't want to admit it. It seemed a little hypocritical of me.'

'It doesn't matter. I want to move on, Lily. I have too.'

'Says who? Who says you have to leave this place?'

'I do. I've spent too long waiting for the end to get stuck at Hogwarts now. I want to forget everything that has happened in my life, and everything I've done.'

'But…'

'No buts, Lily. I'm moving on and there's nothing you can do or say to stop me.' Severus knew that he was sounding like a child but he didn't care. He meant every word. He was sick of living and pretending to be someone he wasn't. He just wanted some peace and quiet.

'They want to see you,' Lily said quickly. 'James and Sirius. They want to see you but they weren't allowed to come up.'

Despite wanting to move on Severus was intrigued. 'Why do they want to see me?'

Lily smiled at him warmly. 'If you want to find out then you'll have to stay.'

'That's cruel, Lily, and you know it.'

'Yes, I suppose it is. Well, are you going to stay?'

'Yes, but as soon as I see them I'm going to leave.' Severus said and then turned away from the slightly hurt look on Lily's face. 'I choose to stay.'

'Very well.' Smiled Godric. 'You may stay and when you decide it is time to move on you may come to see us at any time to move on. The choice is always yours, Severus.'

'Thank you.' Severus turned back to Lily and together they walked down the staircase to find James, Sirius, Peter, and Dumbledore waiting for him. Peter and Dumbledore stood behind the other two, making it clear that Severus was to concentrate on them and what they had to say. Lily cleared her throat, giving them the push they so clearly needed.

'Right, yes, well then,' Sirius muttered.

'As eloquent as ever, Black.' Severus said, unable to resist.

'Shut up, Sni… Severus.' Sirius added when James elbowed him.

'Look, Snape, we just wanted to say that we're sorry. For the way we treated you when we were kids,' James began. 'We had no right to do that. Any of it. We were incredibly stupid and naive. And we aren't expecting you to forgive us. I think we might die again if you did.' James attempted humour and failed miserably.

'What my idiot colleague is trying to say is that we were idiots. Not just us, by the way. You were an idiot too.'

'_Sirius!_' Lily said.

'Don't worry about it, Lily. He's right. I was an idiot as well. I shouldn't have reacted to their childish remarks but I couldn't. I reacted to them and that just encouraged them even more. I'm as much to blame for everything that happened during those years as they are.'

'But we shouldn't have started it in the first place,' said, of all people, Sirius. 'On the train here. We started it and so we are more to blame than you. Always have been, and always will be. It is our fault, not yours.'

'Anyway,' James interrupted Sirius' ramblings. 'We also wanted to thank you.'

'Thank me? What for?'

'For everything you've done for Harry, especially this past year. We know how dangerous it was for and I will never forget how you helped my son, risking your own life, in this fight against Voldemort and everything he stands for.'

'I was following orders.' Severus replied glancing at Dumbledore.

'You did not have to do what I asked of you, Severus,' Dumbledore said. 'You chose too.'

'It doesn't actually matter. I, we, are still thankful to you for all you have done to help Harry.'

'Severus,' Lily spoke softly forcing everyone to face her. 'Will you stay here with us? Will you stay with us to keep watch over what happens on Earth?'

'I don't…' Severus began before glancing behind him. Dumbledore caught his eye and nodded. 'I will stay.'


End file.
